In a retail type environment, the efficiency with which consumers are able to process, pay for and purchase their desired items factors into the expenses for a retail type establishment. The labor hours attributable to manning checkout counters contributes greatly to this expense. In a typical retail operation, a shopper gathers the items desired for purchase and presents them at a checkout counter, a clerk then scans or enters the items' barcodes and the point-of-sale (POS) system totals the shopper's bill. The clerk may apply any promotional discounts to the bill, the shopper tenders payment, and the items may be bagged for the customer. A number of self-service automated checkout terminal concepts have been developed in an attempt to reduce the need for a check-out clerk, thus reducing associated labor costs.
Toward reducing operating expenses, some businesses have implemented self-checkout counters that substitute for individual clerks and baggers at each checkout terminal. Self-checkout terminals (also known as kiosks) are systems which are operated mainly by a customer without the direct aid of a dedicated checkout clerk. In such a system, the customer scans, selects or enters individual items for purchase, for example, across a scanner or screen and then places the selected items into a grocery type bag, if desired. The customer then pays for his or her purchase either at the self-service checkout terminal or at a central payment area. Thus, a self-service checkout terminal permits a customer to select, itemize and even pay for his or her purchases without the direct assistance of the retailer's personnel at each individual checkout terminal.
Self-checkout systems are also useful in other types of unattended environments, such as, employee break rooms, hotel vending areas, business lobby settings or hospitals. One of the many benefits of self-checkout systems is that they allow quick consumer-operated transactions, resulting in high throughput. This high throughput is typically a balanced transaction that allows new self-checkout users to feel in control of and comfortable with the transaction. Some self-checkout users quickly adapt and become comfortable with a self-checkout transaction and prefer to move as quickly as possible through the transaction, while others, such as new users, may prefer guidance through the transaction.
Typically, self-checkout systems fall into two main categories: attended and unattended. Attended self-checkout refers to the conventional model used in popular grocery chains whereby an attendant actively monitors multiple self-checkout stations and constantly assists consumers with their transactions for such things as weight faults, un-scannable items, and the like. Unattended self-checkout refers to a variety of kiosk types, such as, vending kiosks in employee break rooms.
Unattended self-checkout systems usually do not require the physical presence of a dedicated attendant because unlike attended systems they, for example, use only a limited subset of transaction options, such as, limited tenders and they may have no weight security. As such, merchants may be comfortable using standard video surveillance systems as the primary loss prevention technology. Merchants who operate unattended vending kiosks also may rely on the tendency of employees to keep watch on each other as a theft deterrent.
Applicant, however, has discovered that the conventional attended and unattended scenarios often do not meet the needs of today's merchants and consumers. Consumers, for example, may have a preference for, or an avoidance of, the traditional attended or unattended scenario as they are usually presented, therefore, causing them to hesitate to complete a purchase using one or the other. Also, as merchants change their stores and checkout processes, the traditional checkout scenarios and loss prevention efforts may not adequately accommodate their changing needs, especially when self-checkouts are being implemented to speed throughput and lower attendant costs, but in actuality, the self-checkouts either offer limited services or stall when an exception occurs. Applicant recognizes the need for unattended self-checkout systems and methods having a loss prevention component without the drawbacks presented by traditional systems and methods.